


traverse the stars and universes

by adverbialstarlight



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish is Bad at Feelings, Adam Parrish-centric, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Misunderstandings, Multiverse, Mutual Pining, POV Adam Parrish, Parallel Universes, References to the Brain, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World AU, because i was doing psych homework too, in most of the AUs, ish, its got everything yall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 04:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20808776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adverbialstarlight/pseuds/adverbialstarlight
Summary: Adam discovers Ronan is his soulmate, and in a panic, runs right after the revelation. Cabeswater, in turn, shows him the true value of having a soulmate.(aka, a fic about Adam Parrish going on a self reflection trip with Cabeswater and pynch being soulmates across multiple different universes, written for Pynch Week 2019)





	traverse the stars and universes

**Author's Note:**

> so, I only actually remembered it was Pynch Week on Friday the 27th, 5 days in, so you know what I decided to do? write a whole long ass fic encompassing all the prompts in the next two days like a dumbass. my wrists hurt like hell but I actually managed to do it in less than 24 hours, so fuck yeah. this is my first posted pynch fic, i hope yall enjoy!
> 
> Prompts followed:  
1 Soulmate AU | 2 Coffee Shop AU | 3 Crossover | 4 Meet cute | 5 High fantasy AU | 6 Hurt/comfort | 7 Trapped together

A Soul Connection, the inexplicable, magic bond between soulmates, was a brilliantly cruel thing. 

They were established at the age of ten, though they did not manifest to the human eye until long after soulmates found each other. Perhaps in some other universe, the Connection might’ve been kinder, might’ve spared people some devastation and heartache and manifested upon birth or perhaps first meeting. That was not the case in this universe. In this one, the Connection did not manifest until the soulmates fully fell in love with each other. Upon their first touch after the revelation, color would bloom across the skin, bright and vibrant and solidifying of their love. 

It was a beautiful thing, one of the most lovely sights to see if you were lucky enough to find your soulmate or watch the manifestation of someone else’s Connection. 

That’s what most people said, anyway. 

But in Adam’s opinion, completely and utterly useless. There was no point in them, no reason or use for the universe to completely dictate how someone’s love life should go. Sure, a companion to follow you across all realities sounded sweet and novel at first, but Adam had seen how badly it could work out. 

Perhaps that’s why, upon the Manifestation of his own Connection, he immediately turned on his heel and ran like a goddamn coward. 

The day had begun innocuously. Like they did most Saturday afternoons, Adam and his friends went to Nino’s for lunch then hung out at the nearby park. It had been all of them at first, Adam, Blue, Gansey, Noah, and of course, Ronan. They were there for a few hours before the others began leaving one by one, until it was only Adam and Ronan left sitting atop the monkey bars. 

For the most part they were silent, not needing to fill the silence, but occasionally Ronan would make a crude joke and Adam would quip a sarcastic reply. It was a familiar routine at this point. Ever since Blue and Gansey got together, Adam found himself seeking out Ronan even more, and he knew the other boy was doing the same. 

Adam had a silent understanding between just himself and each of his friends, but the connection to Ronan felt even stronger— not that he’d ever even suspected that they might be soulmates, he just assumed that it was the inevitable result of the proximity, that and the fact he had a hopeless crush on Ronan. 

“Do you ever wonder what makes a person go into a fucking car dealership and decide they want to buy a bright fucking yellow Volkswagen Beetle? With a fucking _racing stripe_ on it?” Ronan mused aloud. 

Snorting, Adam shifted to look at Ronan. “Careful Lynch, don’t stare at other cars too much or else you’re gonna make the BMW jealous,” he teased. As he fully faced Ronan, Adam felt something sharp in his gut, nearly making him fall off the monkey bars. 

The sun was just beginning to set and Ronan was radiant, glowing like a mirage and at once sharpened and softened in the golden light. It was not the first time Adam noticed how goddamn beautiful Ronan was, but somehow it took him by surprise. He felt the same way he did the first time it happened. It was the shock of cold lake water, it was falling from the tallest tree in the forest— thrilling and paralyzing all at once. 

With a small gasp, it all clicked in his mind and everything came back in stunning clarity. 

And then, he was truly falling. 

He was slipping backwards, somehow sliding straight through the metal bars. Adam grasped at air, trying to regain his balance, but it was to no avail. Before he could get much further though, a large calloused hand grabbed his wrist, and Adam was righted on the monkey bars again. 

“Dude, what the fuck was…” Ronan trailed off, his eyes shifting down to where he still held Adam tightly. There was something like surprise and alarm in his blue eyes, along with a look that Adam had long ago decided to be completely inscrutable. 

Adam followed his gaze. His hands felt warm and buzzed where Ronan touched them. This was completely normal— as much as he’d rather not admit it, this was how he always reacted to Ronan’s touch— but the lavender that bloomed across his skin like paint was not. 

He felt his heart stop in his chest for a moment. There was no mistaking what this was. A Soul Connection. Adam’s eyes snapped up to Ronan’s, his mouth slightly agape. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move away. 

_There’s no way._

And then, he started laughing. It was humorless, bitter and disbelieving as he shook his head. Ronan Lynch, of all people, was his soulmate. He couldn’t believe it. Long ago Adam had learned that the universe was cruel, but had never thought it to be _this _cruel. 

“I—” _I never wanted a soulmate. I only wanted you, only you. Why did it have to be you?_

The words stuck in his throat. He tried again, but no sound came out this time. Wincing, Adam took his hands from Ronan’s loose grasp despite the way his chest ached as he did so. Finally, he choked out, “I should go.” 

Without waiting for a reply, he jumped down from the monkey bars and started away. It was hard not to look back at Ronan, hard not to decide to throw his personal vendettas against the concept of a soulmate and run back to him. He couldn’t. 

“Parrish!” Ronan called after him. 

Adam heard him jump down as well, dispersing the pebbles covering the ground as he began to jog after him. It was too much. Gritting his teeth to stop himself from turning around, Adam paused. From behind him, Ronan did too. 

“Adam,” he said this time, voice soft. 

It took all of his strength this time for Adam to keep staring ahead. Ronan didn’t deserve this, Ronan didn’t deserve to be stuck with such an asshole as him. “Ronan, don’t,” he told him, trying not to sound as pathetic as he felt. 

And then, he continued walking. This time Ronan did not follow. 

Adam walked without any direction, barely focusing on his surroundings. If the Soul Connection had manifested, that meant Ronan liked him too, didn’t it? That had to count for something. Except after what had just happened, Adam wasn’t quite so sure that it would still be the case. Could Connections be severed? After all, if it was right, then Adam might’ve just broken Ronan’s heart. He felt a sharp stab of guilt at the thought and stumbled a bit before continuing. 

It was already pretty awful, but when he thought about it that, he sounded like even more of an unfathomably moronic asshole. Something straight out of a terrible romance novel or poorly planned fan fiction. 

But to be fair, he had a good reason to. Sure, Blue and Gansey were happy, but they could be an exception. Adam hadn’t grown up seeing any fairy tale endings when it came to soulmates. He’d always perceived soulmates as a curse, a burden and a weapon to brandish against someone who should’ve been your other half. 

He kicked a stone out of his way, approaching the edge of the forest. It was quite a ways from the park and should’ve taken much longer to get here, but Adam didn’t bother questioning it. He weaved through the trees until he got to a familiar clearing and sank to the ground against one of the sturdy wooden trunks. 

“What the fuck is the point of even having a goddamn soulmate if you fall in love with them anyway?” Adam muttered aloud. 

_We can show you_, the trees replied. 

“No, you don’t really have to, thanks,” Adam said with a grimace, though he was hardly startled. The trees whispered to him often, though they were rarely so straightforward. Not to mention, it sounded like a terrible idea. 

Ignoring his dismissal, the trees said, _tu memini._

_You shall remember_, Adam’s mind translated. And then, his vision went black. 

✧∞✧

Adam stood behind the cash register of a coffee shop. The midday sun was streaming through the blue-tinted windows and customers lounged around the table. No one was at the counter at the moment, so Adam stepped back and leaned against the back counter, inhaling deeply. 

“Nice job, Adam,” Blue said from beside him, grinning as she cleaned off the espresso machine with a damp rag. “You’re starting to get the hang of those morning rushes, soon enough you won’t even need me here to babysit you through it.” 

He rolled his eyes. “I’ve worked a cash register before, you know. I’m not completely incompetent at this.” 

Blue grinned in reply. “I know. Doesn’t mean you knew how to do it well, though. And you still can’t make a latte to save a life.” 

Before Adam could make a clever comeback, the bell above the coffee shop rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. 

“Back to work I guess,” he muttered to Blue. She gave him a mock salute and they moved back to their places. 

The man who had just entered wore a black leather jacket that Adam thought was far too thick for Virginia’s summer heat. Even with the air conditioning, he’d been sweating his ass off in his provided polo shirt and shorts, but the man seemed completely unaffected. 

He strode up to the counter with purpose, ignoring the looks he received from the other customers, some of appreciation and others of wariness. Instead he focused on Adam, who did not back down from the man’s sharp gaze as he stepped back up to the register. 

“Hi, welcome to Cabeswater Coffeehouse, what can I get you today?” Adam recited in false boredom. There was something that seemed different about this man, something about him that seemed to whisper _I am one to remember_. He tried to ignore it.. 

The man assessed him for a long moment before answering, not even bothering to glance at the menu. “Medium black coffee with cream and a blueberry muffin,” he said, voice low but smooth. 

Adam tore his eyes away and focused on the register, tapping the correct items on the screen then looked back up. “That’ll be $6.74, you wanna pay in cash or credit?” 

Silently, the man held out a crisp ten dollar bill. Adam took the bill with a nod and quickly scooped up the change. “$3.26 is your change,” he said. “Can I get a name for the drink order?” 

“Ronan.” 

“Cool, your drink will be ready in a minute,” Adam said. He slid the cup over to Blue and moved to the pastry case to retrieve the muffin with some tongs. Dropping it into a bag, Adam shut the case and turned back to Ronan, who seemed to be watching him again inquisitively. 

Meeting his eyes again, Adam said, “Here, have a nice day, Ronan.” 

The words felt oddly familiar on his tongue, and it was beyond the fact he recited something similar to everyone who came in. Ronan nodded to his nametag as he reached for the bag and replied, “Thanks, Adam.” 

Something sparked in Adam’s chest as Ronan said it, and he bit back a surprised smile. His name seemed to roll off the other man’s tongue melodically, and he almost wished to hear it again. It was foolish and he willed the thoughts away. 

Their fingers brushed as Ronan took the bag, and Adam noticed a peculiar tattoo on the inside of Ronan’s wrist. It was his Soulmark, the manifestation of a Soul Connection. It was nothing out of the ordinary, everyone received one at birth, a unique design that matched their soulmate or soulmates’, something specific and identifying to guide them to each other, but the familiar intricate swirls made him pause. 

They looked just like the ones that marked Adam’s own skin, a pattern burned into the back of his thalamus at this point. It could’ve just been a very similar Soulmark, but something in Adam’s mind told him that wasn’t the case. What were the odds of another person who was not his soulmate to have a pattern of the very same tree, anyway? 

His hand stopped, and he looked back up at Ronan. “Nice Soulmark,” he told him, a small smile fighting to break out on his lips as he adjusted his hold on his bag so his own Soulmark was half visible. 

Immediately, Ronan’s eyes dropped to Adam’s hand, and then to his wrist. When he caught glimpse of the Soulmark, Adam could tell immediately. It was impossible not to with the way his bright blue eyes widened a fraction and his fingers clamped down on the paper bag between them. 

“Holy mother of Mary,” Ronan muttered quietly. 

“Yeah,” Adam replied, suddenly breathless. Then, he let a bit of the smile onto his face. “Hi, I’m Adam.” 

“Ronan,” said Ronan, taking the bag fully this time. 

There was a pause, and then they both let out a quiet laugh. Ronan’s laugh was like bells, loud and vibrant and beautiful. Adam hoped to hear this again as well. 

“I have to admit, this was a kind of a stupid way to meet you,” Adam told him. “At work of all places, it’s pretty anticlimactic.” 

Ronan shrugged. “Unless you’d like me to reschedule our first meeting for you and your dumb expectations, it doesn’t really matter now, does it?” 

Adam snorted and shook his head. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.” 

When their eyes met again and another, new private smile was exchanged, Adam felt a shift in the air. It was subtle, but it felt momentous. This was a shifting point, the catalyst for something new, something that felt unfathomable only just yesterday. For what was possibly the first time in his life, Adam didn’t mind waiting to see how his future might pan out— though he had a suspicion that there might be a bit more of Ronan in it than before. 

✧∞✧

_Soulmates are the skeleton key to doors you may not have realized you might’ve wished to be open. They are a gateway for change, for opportunity, and, to some, a chance to find your happiness._

✧∞✧

To say the least, Adam was fucking terrified. 

He knew that this was going to come eventually, but he hadn’t realized how _soon_ eventually would be. If he had, Adam would’ve spent less time sitting around only making out with Ronan and reading his book and more time preparing for the battle awaiting him. 

In this universe, the manifestation of a Soul Connection came through a ceremony. It was similar to one of marriage, only far more aggressive. Some people called it outdated and downright barbaric. To everyone else, it was just a part of the whole soulmate business. Adam used to be the latter, but he was beginning to agree with the former. 

To prove your devotion and worthiness for a manifestation, one had to successfully fight the six most important people in their soulmate’s life. The fights could take any form, whether that be one involving wit or wielding a sword or Wii Bowling scores, but the contending soulmate had to win all six or try again another day. 

This would be Adam’s first attempt. He already knew who he’d be fighting, something that both soothed and intensified his growing anxiety all at once. Having been friends with Ronan since their childhood, there were very few people that one knew and the other did not. And by extension, few were close to one of them and not nearly as close to the other. 

Obviously, two of the six would be Ronan’s brothers— Declan and Matthew— and his sister, Opal. Opal was only about eight and always appeared incredibly frail, but if fighting the girl meant Adam could manifest his Connection to Ronan, then so be it. The remaining three were their closest friends, Gansey, Blue, and Noah. 

“Adam,” a voice came from behind him, making Adam startle. Gansey was standing in the doorway, the usual pleasant smile on his lips. “Are you ready yet? Declan and Matthew just got here so the day’s about to start. I thought I’d best come and get you.” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Adam said, frowning. “I still don’t understand why this is all necessary. It’s not like we all didn’t know I loved him _before_ all this.” 

Gansey’s smile grew at that, the corners of his eyes crinkling in fondness. “Yeah, and Ronan’s loved you since forever, too. I always had a feeling it would be you two. Just think of this as another step in your already incredibly lovely and legitimate relationship. Once we’re done you won’t have to worry about it anymore.” 

“But what if I end up failing?” Adam muttered to the ground. 

“Hey.” Gansey stepped into Adam’s room and in front of his friend, resting a hand on his shoulder in assurance. “You’ve got this. I mean, none of us are gonna go easy on you, but it’d take a fool not to see how fit for each other you and Ronan are. Not even Declan would try and take that away from you two. And even if one of us does beat you, it’s not like you’re not barred from another attempt or Ronan would think less of you. Now go out there and win your Connection, yeah?” 

Adam let out a long breath, letting himself relax at Gansey’s words. He was right. And besides, there was no better way to get rid of a task by getting rid of it. “Yeah.” 

Gansey straightened and gave Adam one more assuring glance. “Excelsior,” he said as he stepped back outside. 

For one more long moment, Adam remained on his bed. He collected all of his nerves and exhaled, shoulders straightening. “Time to try to fight our family for my soulmate,” he muttered to himself. _No_, he reminded himself. Not try, _succeed_. 

He stood up and left his room, quickly descending the stairs of the house and making his way to the living room. Everyone else was already waiting for him there, including Ronan. He sat on the couch with Opal in his lap as he listened to whatever story Matthew was telling him. When he noticed Adam in the room, his lips quirked up in a soft smile, causing Adam’s chest to ache. Whether it was from the love he felt for Ronan or the still present anxiety residing in his stomach at the moment, Adam wasn’t sure, but he had a hunch that it was a bit of both. 

“Hey,” he said as he approached. 

“Hi,” Ronan said. “You ready to fight for my honor or whatever the fuck, Parrish?” Quietly, he stage whispered into Opal’s ear, “Don’t tell Declan I said that in front of you,” to which she let out a small giggle. 

Adam shrugged, nodding to Opal briefly before turning back to Ronan. “Guess we’ll see,” he said. Then, to Blue, he asked, “Is everything ready? I’d rather get this done now rather than drag it out.” 

Blue nodded. “Whenever Declan’s ready the twenty four hours will officially start.” 

Matthew, from Ronan’s side, scoffed. “Don’t worry Adam, we’ll go easy on you. Probably.” His words were calm and friendly, but there was something sharp and Ronan-like in the grin he wore. 

“Nah, you might, but not me,” piped up Noah. “Sorry Adam, I love you man, but Ronan’s also my best friend so you’ve gotta prove your worth and all that.” 

“Wow, thanks.” 

Noah grinned cheekily. “No problem.” 

Delcan stood up a moment later, having finished his discussion with Gansey, and held up a hand. “Okay, I’m ready to start the time,” he said. “We all know the rules, but I’ll review them now. To earn manifestation of his Soul Connection to Ronan, Adam must fight and win against the six of us. These fights will not be conducted in any particular order or follow any schedule, but all will happen in the next twenty four hours. No one but Ronan can give direct assists to Adam from any of us or else the win doesn’t count, and if Adam manages to pass all our challenges, the Connection ceremony can start right after. Everyone got it? Alright, good, Blue, please start the time.” 

Blue pulled out an old fashioned oven timer from one of her various pockets. “Good luck, Adam, I promise I’ll be rooting for you,” she said. With that, she began the timer. 

The first fight was against Matthew, about ten minutes after the group dispersed to various places in the house. Adam was in the kitchen to get a glass of water when Matthew sprung up from behind the kitchen island. 

“Adam Parrish!” he shouted, pointing a whisk at Adam’s chest. “I challenge you to a culinary duel to win my brother. Does thine accept this challenge?” 

From the dining table, Ronan sighed. “Kid, you aren’t using that word right.” 

Adam hadn’t even noticed him sitting there and tried to suppress his surprise. He looked away from Matthew and raised an eyebrow at Ronan, who only shrugged. 

“Dammit Ronan, you’re distracting my opponent,” Matthew whined. He brandished the whisk again and repeated, “Do you accept this challenge?” 

Biting back a laugh, Adam nodded. “Yeah, okay. I accept your challenge. What’re we making?” 

Matthew grinned. From the floor behind the island, he pulled out another item, a box that read “Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix”. “Brownies,” he said. “Whoever’s is better will win.” 

“But how would that even work if we’re using the same mix?” Adam asked, brows furrowed in confusion. “Unless you’re referring to mixing competence and baking time there isn’t really a way to—” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Matthew said somewhat glumly. “But Ronan says I’m not allowed to make anything that’s a huge mess in your guys’ kitchen so I had to compromise.” 

“Ah,” Adam said, unsure how else to reply. 

“Okay, enough chattering now, _nemesis_. Let’s start.” 

Adam had never been much of a baker, he could make himself food when desperately needed, but couldn’t think of a time he had the time or motivation to make something so useless as a cupcake or brownie. It couldn’t be very different than boiling pasta though, could it? 

He mentally crossed his fingers and started to skim the directions on the back of the brownie box. 

The time went by surprisingly quickly. Before Adam knew it, he was pulling his finished brownie pan from the oven, trying his best to pretend not to notice Matthew— who actually knew what the hell he was doing and didn’t go through a series of failed attempts to mix everything together to the right consistency— scrutinizing his every movement. 

They waited a few minutes for Adam’s brownies to finish cooling and then cut out a square to put on a plate. Shockingly, the piece Adam carved out remained somewhat rectangular, and he set it in front of Ronan with a small tinge of pride. Despite the rough start, Adam liked to think that he did pretty well for this being his first time baking. 

Ronan raised his eyebrows as he looked down at the two different brownie pieces. “Matt, you realize I can just say Parrish won no matter how much either of your brownies suck?” he said, picking up the fork set next to him. 

Matthew shrugged. “I don’t care. Just eat the brownie?” 

Adam smiled at Matthew’s honesty, glad to know that at least he and Gansey were rooting for him, then turned to the other Lynch brother. 

Ronan didn’t break eye contact with Adam as he took a bite of each brownie. He kept his face relatively blank the entire time, probably relishing how Matthew was practically bouncing in anticipation for the final verdict. 

Finally, Ronan said, “Adam won.” 

Despite not winning, Matthew let out a cheer and hugged Adam. “Hell yeah, congrats man! Don’t screw up the rest of these now, will you? I’m really looking forward to the post-ceremony cake Delcan got from Safeway earlier.” 

He took his brownie from the table and wandered out of the kitchen then, leaving Adam and Ronan alone. Ronan stood up and strode towards Adam, pressing their foreheads together gently. “Yeah, don’t screw up now, Parrish. Only got five more to go.” 

“Five more,” echoed Adam. 

Then, before he could overthink it too much, he tilted his head and pressed his lips to Ronan’s. He tasted like chocolate, Adam noted in delight. That quickly evaporated as well when Ronan pulled him in by the waist then spun them around to press Adam into the table for a much longer kiss. Not that Adam minded too much. 

Blue’s challenge was next, and they knitted pairs of socks. Once again, Adam won, shocking Blue and Ronan with his impressive symmetry. 

After that was Opal’s, who decided that the two of them and Ronan play hide and seek, where whoever was found last was the victor. He knew she went easy on him, knowing how impossible to find Opal could be when she tried, but decided to take her help without any objection. 

Then came Noah, whose challenge was for Adam to simply skateboard over a course he set up. It was admittedly complicated and Adam was wary of it at first, but he made it through in the end. Ronan had given a particularly nice victory kiss for that one. 

Not long afterwards, Gansey’s challenge came. They played a European history trivia game, surprising absolutely no one. In the end it was a tie, much to Gansey’s disappointment and Adam’s surprise. The rest of the group decided that it counted as a win. 

Lastly came Declan’s challenge, which happened the next morning, and it was much more elaborate than the others’. They all drove out to one of the old strip malls closer to the center of town. Declan led them to the sign that read “ESCAPE ROOMS”. 

Ronan had scoffed, “Nerd.” 

Ignoring him, Declan explained that it would be race, Adam and Ronan against Declan and Matthew. “If you two can get out of your escape room before Matthew and I do, Adam wins. If not, better luck next time, I guess.” 

That had made Adam worried, but it turned out to be for naught. He and Ronan had always worked together easily when willing, and they managed to find their way out ten minutes before Declan and Matthew. 

When the two of them had swung the metal door open into the gift shop, Gansey had stood immediately. He came up to Adam and beamed smugly. “I told you that you could do it, did I not?” 

“You did,” Adam said, rolling his eyes but pulling his friend in for a hug. “Thank you, Gansey,” he mumbled. 

And then he looked back to Ronan, finally letting the excitement seep into him. “I did it,” he said. “I fucking did it.” 

“Of course you did, Parrish, it’s _you_. If anyone could beat these losers and gain my hand, it’d be you. Always you,” Ronan said. 

Adam scoffed, a blush heating his face. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “So, do I get my victory kiss for this challenge?” he asked. 

That kiss was perhaps the sweetest of all of the ones he’d received for his wins today. 

_My soulmate_, Adam thought. In this moment, no term could be more fitting. 

✧∞✧

_Soulmates are one of the most quintessential examples of interpersonal loyalty. For most, a soulmate is the one whom they trust the most, who they would follow to the ends of the Earth and towards the sun, no matter what that cost might be. Soulmates are a reminder that you are not alone, and there will always be someone by your side and cheering you on to become the best version of yourself that you can hope to be._

✧∞✧

The wards were failing. It did not take much intelligence to know. Anyone could see it, from the way the magic dimmed and flickered every few seconds. Adam wasn’t sure if he could keep them up for too much longer. There was a nasty gash in his side, a cut made by a blade sharp enough to cut through armor. It was no longer bleeding, luckily, but if Adam kept moving and jerking his body around in battle as he continued doing, it would probably open again. 

Other than keeping up the wards around the city and making sure to avoid getting his head severed by his current opponent, only one thought filled Adam’s mind. 

_Ronan._ He had to make it back to Ronan, he had to see him one last time at least, to trace his sharp cheekbones and rememorize his ice blue eyes. If he could say one last goodbye to him, place one last kiss upon his soft lips, Adam would be satisfied. He’d be content with the thought of death at the hand of demon charmers, despite how miserable and slow they always made it. 

He was tired of this war, tired of being away from home and tired of the fighting. It was all just a part of being a key part of the king’s army though. As the leader of the wyvern riders, Adam had no choice in whether or not he wanted to keep fighting. The entire kingdom was relying on him to push back the western demon charmers and protect the region from the darkness determined to overtake it. 

So far, he was not doing very well. 

The demon charmers, a western clan that had been at war against the kingdom of Henrietta for far too many years, had poised a sneak attack on the capital city at dawn. Someone among the Henrietta ranks had betrayed their kingdom and gave the demon charmers a way through the outmost wards and straight to the walls of the city. 

The day had started as Adam’s first one off in years, the elven legion had pushed the demon charmers back, leaving the war in a temporary stalemate. The wyvern riders, knowing just how rare this was, took full advantage of the stalemate to fly back to the capital for some much needed rest. 

Adam and Ronan had gone back to the Lynch monarchy’s palace immediately, taking a walk around the castle grounds. 

They’d been fifteen when Adam first officially met Ronan. It was the first day of knight training, and both boys were in attendance. Adam, merely a poor merchant’s son at this point, was there on a scholarship from the city, won by sheer luck. Ronan was following his royal duties as prince, familiarizing himself with the art of battle and the kingdom’s future soldiers. Because of these circumstances, one would expect the two to barely even acknowledge each other, and in the beginning, they did. But then the Captain of the Guard paired them together for sparring, and thus began a rocky friendship that, in time, bloomed into one of the kingdom’s most favored tales of romance. 

At twenty, they were eternally bonded both in heart and magic. The ceremony in which their Soul Connection was manifested was simple despite Ronan’s royal status, held in one of the small gardens on the east side of the palace. Only the immediate royal family as well as Blue, a clairvoyant from town whom Adam had known since childhood, and two nobles, Gansey and Noah, attended. 

At twenty five, Adam and Ronan led the wyvern riders together. The higher up commanders were no fools, anyone could see that Ronan and Adam, top of their class, worked best when they were together, and both possessed immense skill for riding wyverns. With their skill on wyvern-back and Adam’s strong magic, they turned the wyvern riders into one of the highest ranking legions in the royal army. 

Visiting the training barracks only a year later, everything felt at once the exact same and different. He held Ronan’s hand in his own throughout the entire day as they walked around the palace grounds, a small smile on his lips. It was perfect in his eyes, so peaceful compared to the havoc wreaked only mere hours later. 

They’d been asleep in Ronan’s royal chambers when the demon charmers’ attack came. An advisor had burst through the door with frantic eyes and urged the two to get up immediately and make their way to the drawing room. 

Only half an hour later, Adam was atop the back of his wyvern again, sword sheathed at his side and hands held out in front of him, fingertips glowing bright red as he summoned his magic. Immediately, the calm he’d felt the previous day was gone, and Adam let the familiar routine of battle settle in. 

Now, evening was starting to creep in. but the demon charmers only kept coming, their shadowy fiends always in tow. Adam’s magic was beginning to deplete rather quickly, having used it for so long without rest. 

He and Ronan had split up the legion hours ago, Adam taking the east and Ronan taking the west. It had pained him to fly away from his husband, his soulmate, but the Henrietta legions were already outnumbered and needed to protect as much of the city borders as possible. 

Adam muttered another incantation and sent another reinforcing spell towards the city’s protective wards behind him. Then, he adjusted his grip on his sword and willed his wyvern forward and into the cluster of six demon charmers ahead of him. 

The city wards were supposed to be used as a last resort defense. Adam had never thought that they’d be needed so much, or that they’d be so flimsy against the attacks of demons. Lynch monarchs of the past had been cocky with their defenses, it seemed, because it seemed that a third of Adam’s magic was being expended to patch up holes in the magical wall. Though many of the demon charmers and demons were preoccupied with fighting the other royal soldiers, it only took one hole in the ward big enough for a demon to slip in for all the last century’s work to be for naught. 

Sword gripped tightly, Adam braced for impact as he and his wyvern collided into the demon charmers. He swung blindly, overcome with grim satisfaction at each screech of inhuman pain from the demons he cut down. The blessed iron of his blade alone was dangerous to demon charmers and demons alike, able to kill without too much effort, but the infusion of Adam’s magic was what made his attacks deadly. 

In the beginning, the thought of so much death and blood on his own hands had been slightly disconcerting to Adam, but like many other things now, it was merely a second nature to kill. He’d stopped feeling any remorse for the demons after one had kidnapped Blue when they were eighteen. 

One of the demon charmers managed to escape the blow, but Adam didn’t bother to pursue them as they fled towards the forest, confident that some other soldier would take care of it. He glanced back towards the ward again and felt a spike of panic as well as annoyance as a demon only a few feet away seared a hole in the ward with shadowy fire. 

Barely even moving his arm, Adam shot a burst of magic the demon’s way, dispersing the creature and closing off the hole. He paused and took in a small breath, a pause before he moved back into battle. 

Then, clear as quartz, Ronan’s voice called out from somewhere to Adam’s left. “Adam, look out!” he shouted, sounding more terrified than Adam had heard him in years. 

He spun towards Ronan’s voice, and as he opened his mouth to shout back, caught what Ronan was pointing at. In the corner of his eye, Adam saw a demon charmer on the back of a demon shaped like a griffin, their long, taloned hand stretched out towards him. 

Before Adam or Ronan could stop it, a burst of demonic energy came hurling towards Adam’s head, the demon charmer right behind it on their griffin. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as the blast collided with him, knocking Adam from the saddle on his wyvern and sent falling towards the ground. 

Spots filled Adam’s vision, bright bursts of colors covering the wyvern and demon filled sky. He faintly heard Ronan shout something, quite possibly his name, but Adam could barely hear it. It felt as if everything were on the other side of a thick stone wall, like his head was submerged beneath water and everything else was happening on a stage far, far away from him. He couldn’t be bothered to think much of anything except the searing pain in his head and neck, and the thought, _why am I not dead yet?_

Realistically speaking, he should’ve been dead hours ago. After exhausting his magic and his wyvern and energy, Adam should’ve collapsed long ago. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, pushing him through and delaying his death for just a bit longer. But why? 

_I still have to kiss Ronan once more_, Adam remembered then. Ronan. Suddenly, his head cleared again, and the panic finally settled into Adam’s heart. He was falling to his death, with no way to cushion his fall or stop it altogether. He was going to die, and never see his friends ever again. 

With one last glance upwards, his unfocused eyes hoping to land on Ronan, Adam said a silent goodbye. _I’ll see you in the next life, Ronan. I love you._

He closed his eyes then, forcing his muscles to relax and mind to stop panicking, and waited for the reaper goddess to take him. 

Except she never came. 

There was a loud roar from above and then the unanimous scream of demon charmers and demons. Then, Adam was no longer falling. He was cradled in firm, strong arms and rising again. He forced his eyes open and saw Ronan’s face in front of him, eyebrows furrowed deeply and lips moving quickly. 

When Ronan’s eyes met Adam’s, some of the adrenaline fueled mania seemed to drain out of them, and he tried to pull his lips up into a smile. There was a bloody gash above his eyebrow and demon ichor covering his silver armor, but all in all seemed alright. “Hey, Parrish,” he croaked. 

Adam opened his mouth to reply, but only a small cough came out. He winced, clearing his throat, then tried again. “Hey, Lynch,” he replied. And then, playfully. “You look like death.” 

Ronan rolled his eyes. “I’ll drop you off this fucking wyvern right now, don’t joke about that right now after I almost just watched you fucking die.” 

“Whoops,” Adam said, feeling a pang of guilt but still laughing at the irony of Ronan’s own threat. “But speaking of almost dying, what happened?” 

“Blue got the rest of the Fox Way clairvoyants and witches to come help us out. She and Persephone were able to vouch for us and get them to protect the border and annihilated the rest of the demon charmers in one blow. The demon charmers are gone, Adam. The war’s over.” 

Adam felt his heart nearly stop. “What?” 

He couldn’t be hearing right. Well, that was a lie, he could only hear from his right ear now, as far as he could tell, but Ronan’s words sounded false. They were words he’d dreamed to hear many times before, words he’d hoped to hear one day but didn’t think would ever come true. He had to be dead, that was the only logical explanation. 

Reading his expression, Ronan snorted, and gently brushed a thumb against Adam’s cheek as his wyvern landed carefully in the palace courtyard. “No, Adam, this is real.” 

As if to prove his point, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Adam’s lips. He tasted like blood and burnt magic, but in this moment, it was the sweetest taste Adam could ever hope for. It meant Ronan was alive. It meant _Adam_ was still alive. As Ronan began to pull back, Adam sat up to capture his lips once more, kissing him long and hard this time. 

He pulled back a bit then pressed their foreheads together. 

Ronan’s smile was brighter than any flare of magic or star in the sky. He nodded, brushing a loose hair from Adam’s eyes. “We won,” he whispered. 

His fingers went to the tattoo of leaves that circled Adam’s forearm, matching the band of matching leaves on his own arm in everything but color, the physical manifestation of their Connection. It had always been there, thrumming like Adam’s magic beneath the surface. There was always something that felt _alive_ in the ink, but here, in the middle of the palace courtyard, exhausted and covered in blood, it seemed to glow even brighter. 

“Yeah,” Adam replied, “we won.” 

✧∞✧

_Soulmates balance one another. When one is weak, their soulmate(s) is there to give them strength, when one is fearful, there is someone there to give them courage. Your soulmate is such because your souls complement each other, the ideal combination to enhance the potential of all parties. The strengths of one may bolster the weaknesses of another, and the weakness of one may check the extent of another’s strength. This is, perhaps, the most important aspect of having soulmates._

✧∞✧

Adam’s eyes flew open and he stared up at the leafy tops of Cabeswater’s trees. He was back in his own universe, no longer a spectator to lives and worlds he’d never personally known. Though it’d felt like years, he’d only been asleep for a few hours. 

Without even thinking about it, a single word slipped from his mouth. “Ronan.” 

_Now do you understand?_ the trees asked. They sounded all too pleased with themselves, something like smugness tinging their words. 

“Yeah,” Adam said, not even able to make himself sound annoyed. “Yeah, I guess I do.” 

It was strange to think of the visions as other dimensions, other _lives_ where he still managed to fall in love with Ronan, every single time. And in each, Ronan still looked at him the same way, like Adam was the center of his universe. In each, they meant something to each other, and despite the predestined Soul Connection, Ronan loved him. 

Would Ronan still love him here? Adam wondered. 

_Go to him_, Cabeswater whispered. 

Adam sat up from the tree, not arguing with Cabeswater’s request. “Do I still have a chance?” he asked the trees. They did not answer, but as Adam stood and began running from the forest, he already knew the answer. 

When Adam skidded to a stop a few minutes later, he was pleased that Ronan was exactly where he knew he’d be. Looking almost pathetic, Ronan was sitting on the rickety roof of one of the Barns’ older farmhouses, his favorite one where the horses used to be, staring up at the sky blankly. 

It made Adam’s chest ache to see him like this, so shuttered off and deflated. He was reminded of the look Ronan got whenever he thought of his father’s death, melancholy and empty all at once. Adam hated it. Even more, he hated how he was the cause of it. 

He didn’t bother to keep quiet as he approached the farmhouse, Ronan didn’t look away from the stars anyway. Adam pushed away the wave of fresh guilt it sent to his chest and climbed onto the crates then stepped onto the rooftop next to Ronan. The rusty metal groaned beneath Adam’s movement, but he was hardly concerned about it falling anymore. Besides, Ronan was more important. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, sitting down next to Ronan. Adam tilted his own head up to the sky and waited. 

Ronan didn’t reply, but Adam felt his gaze turn onto him. It wasn’t great, but he didn’t tell Adam to fuck off, so Adam supposed it was a good sign. 

“You have every right to want me to go away, I really don’t blame you after I— I ran away like that, but I’m gonna say some things and hope you listen,” Adam said to the stars. He took in a deep, shuddering breath then turned to meet Ronan’s gaze. 

“If me and the universe have not made it incredibly clear yet, I am in love with you, Ronan,” he said unflinchingly. “I think I have been for a long time, I was just too afraid to acknowledge it. Still was, I think. Maybe that’s why I ran, because it was so new and then the whole Connection thing happened. It was so… sudden.” 

He turned away, staring instead at his hands before continuing. 

“That obviously isn’t an excuse for just up and leaving, but I just want you to know that it wasn’t because of you. I’m the luckiest fucking person in the world, to get to have _you_, out of everyone that could’ve been my soulmate. Even with everything I’ve always had against the concept, even before I knew that. Even if we were in a world without soulmates, I would always choose you. I was just hoping that this would be one of those places I could. To me, soulmate business didn’t matter. I love you, and I wasn’t going to let some stupid Soul Connection manifestation tell you that for me, or tell me that I had to. 

“I didn’t understand the reason for soulmates, why the bond even mattered when I knew I love you anyway. But then Cabeswater… The trees, they told me that they’d show me.” 

Adam paused, stealing another glance at Ronan only to find the other boy already watching. “There are hundreds, probably thousands of other universes out there, different worlds and lives, and in every single one, I’ve found you,” Adam said. “Cabeswater showed me some of them, and in each one, you… You were my soulmate, Ronan. In every single one, you were there, and you loved me. Seeing those lives, seeing what you and I could do in them, that made me a little less afraid.” 

Only a bit hesitantly, he reached for Ronan’s hand, taking it carefully in his own. Ronan did not pull away, so Adam continued, “Less afraid of this, less afraid of trying. But only if you still want to, too, I mean. If you don’t, I understand. I really am sorry, Ronan, and even if you don’t want to go traverse the stars and universes with me anymore, I hope that you’ll eventually forgive me anyway. I don’t know if I could stand it if you ended up hating me for the rest of time.” 

He let out a small, sad laugh, then stared back at the stars. Each one was another lifetime, another place, another universe where Ronan might have loved him still. Hopefully, alternate universes Adam was not quite so foolish as this one. 

There was a long moment of silence, Adam watching the stars and Ronan watching Adam. Then, finally, Ronan pulled their joined hands firmly. Instead of releasing Adam’s though, he took both into his lap and forced Adam to look back at him. 

“Parrish, you are an idiot,” he said quietly, gruffly. 

Adam nodded. “Yeah.” 

“I didn’t finish,” Ronan said. “You are an idiot if you think that anything, soulmates and the goddamn universe be fucked, will ever make me stop loving you. Nothing, no matter how much you decide to overreact to things, could ever make me hate you.” 

Adam startled at this. His eyes widened and he met Ronan’s intense gaze, but there was nothing but honesty in his eyes. 

Then, before Adam could quite process what was happening, Ronan took hold of Adam’s jaw with his free hand and leaned forward quickly, pressing a firm kiss to Adam’s lips. It was not like any of the other memory-kisses Cabeswater had shown him, this one was more real, more vibrant and passionate and drawn out. After the first kiss, Ronan pulled back briefly then dove right back in, making Adam’s head dizzy and light, as if he were still falling from a wyvern’s back, only this time there was more than just the cold hard ground waiting for him. 

When they finally pulled away, Ronan whispered, “I love you, Adam.” He grinned, and this time Adam did not push away the swooping feelings of butterflies. 

“I love you too, Ronan. In every single fucking universe that there is.” 

**Author's Note:**

> whoever catches where i threw a brain part into a common expression about seeing something bc of psych homework wins an overjoyed screaming reply from yours truly. anyway, it's done!! i'm so thrilled that i managed to write this so fast, shout out to [this](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zjGLygoBmpafEsGtk5n1a?si=WbjGKe24Ty6Mi7B2ClcpSA) playlist of epic fantasy music for getting me through that last au and everyone who sprinted with me in the last 24 hours while i wrote this baby. it was such fun to write and i'm so glad to finally get a trc fic out there. also fun fact, i stole the phrase "across realities" which was used too many times from the name of a vld zine that i modded earlier this year.
> 
> thanks to everyone for reading, leave a kudos or comment to make me cry, and have a nice day/night/whatever! if you want, catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/adverbialnouns) or [tumblr](http://adverbialstarlight.tumblr.com)


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